Joke Raes
Joke Raes is a Belgium-based artist who works internationally. In 2024, she won the Art Prize at Ceramic Brussels, earning her a two-month artist residency at Fondation L’Accolade in Paris. She completed her studies at HISK (Higher Institute for Fine Arts) in Ghent in 2016. Raes’s journey into the visual arts began with experiences such as an underwater exhibition in the Red Sea in Egypt and a residency with indigenous communities deep in the Peruvian Amazon. These experiences inspired her to develop a unique visual language driven by a profound fascination with the complexity and diversity of nature and humanity. Raes works in various media, including drawings, watercolors, ceramics, installations, performances, and sculptures. Her work explores themes such as duality of identity, the fragility and beauty of existence, tension and balance within images, and the concept of “imaginary walks” or encouraging people to collect “love water.” This love water comes from rivers, lakes, or seas worldwide and is used in her creations, such a fountain 'Petrified water' or love-watercolor drawings. Her organic visual language, at times reminiscent of the lush structures of the Amazon rainforest, combines effortless movement with obsessive attention to detail. Each piece appears to emerge spontaneously, yet upon closer inspection, it reveals astonishing precision. She developed her ceramic work during residencies at Sundaymorning@EKWC in the Netherlands and in Arita, Saga, Japan. In 2017, Raes began her ongoing series of porcelain masks, Mask x. These masks reflect both her theater background and her reflections on fluid identity; each mask is given a unique name and identity by its owner. This series plays with the ambiguity and fragility of identity, exploring the tension between revealing and concealing.
Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including at SMAK Coming People BE (‘11), the Amazon Forest PER (‘12), the Red Sea EGY (‘12), Vanhaerents Art Collection BE (‘13), the Moscow Biennale for Contemporary Art RUS (‘15), Az Alma BE (‘17), Van Abbemuseum NL (‘18), Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens BE (‘18), the Belgian Embassy in Tokyo and Kyoto Art Center JP (‘18), CC Destelheide BE (‘19), The White House Gallery BE (‘19), Poortersloge BE (‘20), DMW Gallery BE (‘21), Franzis Engels Gallery NL (‘22), Verduyn Gallery BE (‘22), D’Apostrof BE (‘23), Kunstenhuis Harelbeke BE (‘23), Galerie P BE (‘24), Ceramic Brussels BE (‘24), Triennale Brugge CC Brugge BE (‘24), her solo exhibition Wandermask in the Japanese Garden in Ostend for the Ensor Year (‘24), Stek Art Gallery BE (‘25), Hof ter Saksen BE (‘25), her solo exhibition Vivid at Zebra Ghent BE (‘25), NQ Gallery BE (‘26), Gallery Ysebaert BE (‘26), Coup de Théâtre. A Play of Clay at ABBY Museum Kortrijk BE (‘26) and her solo exhibition Vivid Waves at Biekorf Bruges BE (‘26).
In 2024, Raes received the Ceramic Brussels Art Prize, which led to a residency at Fondation L’Accolade in Paris. In 2025 she published her first monograph, Vivid, and in 2025–26 she is Artist of the Year in collaboration with CC Brugge. Her work is currently on view in Intiem at Villa Les Zéphyrs (until 8 November, curated by Jan Leysen), in Aqua III at Aqualex in Knokke (until 31 March 2027) and at PAN Amsterdam with Galerie Wilms (1–8 November). It can also be seen in Ontkoppelingen at CC Destelheide (until 17 January 2027, curated by Willem Elias), in the benefit exhibition and auction of the Volunteers and Friends of ABBY in Kortrijk (exhibition from 24 November, auction on 3 December), in the duo exhibition From Memory to Fantasy with Thibo Moreels at Pand 00x in Kortrijk (27 November – 20 December) and in Innig 3.0 at Stek Art Gallery in Torhout (28 November – 20 December). In 2027 she will exhibit at Project 2.0 in the
Through her curiosity for nature and her uniquely detailed approach, Raes creates artworks that not only captivate but also offer a philosophical perspective on our relationship with the world around us.
Haar werk werd nationaal en internationaal tentoongesteld, onder meer bij SMAK Coming People BE (‘11), het Amazonewoud PER (‘12), de Rode Zee EGY (‘12), Vanhaerents Art Collection BE (‘13), de Moscow Biennale for Contemporary Art RUS (‘15), Az Alma BE (‘17), het Van Abbemuseum NL (‘18), Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens BE (‘18), de Belgische Ambassade in Tokio en Kyoto Art Center JP (‘18), CC Destelheide BE (‘19), The White House Gallery BE (‘19), Poortersloge BE (‘20), DMW Gallery BE (‘21), Franzis Engels Gallery NL (‘22), Verduyn Gallery BE (‘22), D’Apostrof BE (‘23), Kunstenhuis Harelbeke BE (‘23), Galerie P BE (‘24), Ceramic Brussels BE (‘24), de Triënnale Brugge CC Brugge BE (‘24), haar solotentoonstelling Wandermask in de Japanse Tuin in Oostende in het kader van het Ensorjaar (‘24), Stek Art Gallery BE (‘25), Hof ter Saksen BE (‘25), haar solotentoonstelling Vivid bij Zebra Gent BE (‘25), NQ Gallery BE (‘26), Gallery Ysebaert BE (‘26), Coup de Théâtre. A Play of Clay in het ABBY museum Kortrijk BE (‘26) en haar solotentoonstelling Vivid Waves in Biekorf Brugge BE (‘26).
In 2024 won Raes de Ceramic Brussels Art Prize, met een residentie bij Fondation L’Accolade in Parijs als gevolg. In 2025 publiceerde ze haar eerste monografie, Vivid, en in 2025–26 is ze Artist of the Year in samenwerking met CC Brugge. Haar werk is momenteel te zien in Intiem in Villa Les Zéphyrs (tot 8 november, curator Jan Leysen), in Aqua III bij Aqualex in Knokke (tot 31 maart 2027) en op PAN Amsterdam met Galerie Wilms (1–8 november). Ook is het te zien in Ontkoppelingen in CC Destelheide (tot 17 januari 2027, curator Willem Elias), in de benefietexpo en -veiling van de Vrijwilligers en Vrienden van ABBY in Kortrijk (expo vanaf 24 november, veiling op 3 december), in de duotentoonstelling From Memory to Fantasy met Thibo Moreels in Pand 00x in Kortrijk (27 november – 20 december) en in Innig 3.0 bij Stek Art Gallery in Torhout (28 november – 20 december). In 2027 exposeert ze bij Project 2.0 in Nederland.
Gedreven door haar nieuwsgierigheid naar de natuur en haar unieke oog voor detail creëert Raes kunstwerken die niet alleen fascineren, maar ook een filosofisch perspectief bieden op onze relatie met de wereld om ons heen.
